His Own Side
by EmeraldGuardian7
Summary: [ABANDONED] Secrets are revealed and Harry Potter is forming his own side to fight in the war. He doesn't trust Dumbledore, he doesn't trust the Ministry, and he definitely won't join Voldemort. Luckily he has two intelligent Slytherin girls to help him on his way. A fifth side of this confrontation starts to move in the shadows. Ancient magic isn't as lost as people may think.
1. Revelations

**Chapter 1:** _ **Revelations**_

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _This is the first chapter to a new story I'm starting. I'm not too sure how much I'll be updating it at first. My main story is still the Wizard and the Grimm, but this plot bunny just wouldn't leave me alone. I've read tonnes of fics with a Harry/Daphne pairing and a very few with Harry/Tracey. I've even seen a few that imply that Daphne/Tracey are together, so I thought why not, and started writing a Harry/Daphne/Tracey. This is my first Harry/Multi pairing so we'll have to see how it goes. At the moment, I am not planning on adding any more girls so please don't starting inundating me with messages asking for that._

 _This story will also make use of some common cliches but I hope it won't get too much for everyone. There will be some of Lordship stuff but for Harry it will only be Potter and Black. He won't have a hundred other family titles. This will also feature a sort of Manipulative!Dumbledore, and GreaterGood!Dumbledore. I don't usually like to bash Dumbledore, but it is sort of required for the story idea. It's more of a case of the road to hell is paved with good intentions. He will probably come off as a villain in this story, but I hope he won't come off as a cartoonish mustache twirler. He just has a set of ideals that he believes in, and will stop at nothing to see his plans come to fruition because he believes it's the only way._

 _The other main idea behind this story is I want something where Harry is on his own side. Where there is a legitimate war being fought, and Voldemort is one side, Dumbledore and the Order are another, Harry has his own allies, and the Ministry is of course its own side. There even be more players that enter the game, but I can't talk about that without spoiling some of this fic._

 _Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! I look forward to receiving constructive feedback in the reviews. I like to know what people like and dislike. If you really don't like my story for whatever reason, please just stop reading, don't flame for no reason. I don't mind constructive feedback but flames are pointless._

* * *

"Are you staring at Potter again Daphne?"

"No," she snapped back much too quickly. It was only with years of practice that she was able to stop herself from from blushing or showing any discernible change of emotion on her face. Well, discernible to most people that is. Tracey Davis, Daphne's long time best friend, could see right through her, which was why she was currently smirking at the Slytherin girls quick reply. "Oh come off it! I've seen you watching him this year too!"

"Well… as I told you before, he's the only boy in this school I'd be interested in going out with."

Daphne suddenly leaned closer to her friend, and started whispering furiously, "Oh! Is our relationship not good enough anymore. I know we can't go around in public, but we've been together for years now!"

"You know our fathers won't allow that to happen Daphne, especially yours. I love you, but we're going to be forced into a marriage eventually, and I'd rather choose the one I have to spend the rest of my life with. Plus, you already admitted the same thing earlier this year! That's why we agreed that neither of us would go after him, it would ruin our friendship if we were competing over him."

Daphne sighed, "I know… I know... I'm sorry. I'm just really stressed out. With the Dark Lord out in the open, he's going to come putting pressure on my family again. And, yes I do find Potter attractive, but that's not why I was watching him. I know we don't know him that well, but did you see his face. Something's wrong. He looks devastated, yet I can't figure out what happened. All his friends made it back from their little adventure to the Ministry, even if some were injured."

Tracey glanced over her shoulder at the Gryffindor table, "Yeah, your right. His eyes look red, almost as if he's been crying. Despite what Snape likes to rant about in the common room, I can tell he hasn't had an easy life, but I've never seen him break down before. Even after Diggory died last year, which I could tell got to him, he held it together."

"Well whatever it is, seeing how he always seems to be in the centre of things, it probably doesn't mean good news for the Wizarding World. I know we've been wondering this for years, but I still wonder what he's playing at. Even though he's a half-blood, he's the last in line of the Potters, which is one of the oldest families in Britain. He doesn't wear his heir ring, let alone have claimed his Lordship," Daphne was staring off into the distance. She'd been trying to figure out what Harry had been planning for years, but none of it made any sense.

"Well maybe he's planning on claiming it this summer. He only turned fifteen at the end of last July. Maybe he just decided to wait a year?" Tracey suggested.

"Technically you're wrong in this case. Normally an heir can have their Lordship passed down to them by the current head of their family when they turn fifteen, or if the current head of house is dead, whatever family member is the current acting head, can pass it down on that day. Harry is a special case. When the heir is the last in line of a family, like in this case with the Potters, the heir can take up their Lordship on their thirteenth birthday. Its an old law put in place by the Wizengamot to protect the old families. In these cases, the interim-head isn't a family member and so they have less powers over the family affairs."

"Well who's the interim-head of House Potter?"

"Dumbledore I think," Daphne scowled. "I heard my dad complaining about it once. He thinks Dumbledore has conned his way into getting control of too many old families."

"I know we don't exactly like Dumbledore, but do you really think he'd block Potter from his heritage? They seem pretty close to me."

"I don't know about that. Haven't you noticed this passed week, let alone this passed year. I haven't seen those two talk all year. I've always noticed the Headmaster keeping his eye on Potter when their in the same room ever since first year. And then after the whole Ministry fiasco last week, I hear someone say they saw Potter leaving Dumbledore's office. Ever since then, I've seen him glaring at the old man at every meal. If looks could kill, I think the Headmaster would be six feet under right now."

"That is interesting. If Potter's actually breaking away from Dumbledore, that only increases his desirability in my book again," Daphne just shook her head at her friends antics.

"We'll have to watch him closely next year. There's more going on with this whole situation than there appears."

"Or you just want to stare at his arse more."

"Tracey!"

"Oy! Greengrass!" Daphne sighed once again. She really didn't want to deal with him again right now.

"What do you want Malfoy?"

"I just wanted to let you know that my father and I will be stopping by your manor this summer. Now that the blood-traitor Black is dead, the Black Lordship will fall to me. I'll be needing a second wife. If your family knows what's good for them, they'll sign the contract this time."

"My father will never contract me to you," she eyed him in disgust. "We actually have standards. He said no to you last time, why do you think he'll have a different answer now. That's why you're stuck with pug-faced Pansy over there as the new Lady Malfoy." She waved her hand idly towards said girl whose face was turning red with anger.

"How dare you! My father and his associates will no longer allow anyone to remain neutral. Either you join or you'll be wiped away like all the other blood traitors will be. If your father wants the Greengrasses to be more than a name in the history books, he'll sign the Betrothal Contract and kneel before the Dark Lord."

"Really? The same old threats Malfoy?" She kept her face carefully blank though, these were legitimate things she'd been more and more worried about over the past year. She knew she couldn't show any weakness in front of them though. "Also, I fail to see how your father will be able to broker any deals from his cell in Azkaban."

The blond boy scowled, "Watch your tongue Greengrass. My father won't be there for long. Potter may think he's gotten away with it all. Assaulting purebloods in Umbridge's office without recourse, and getting my father captured by the Ministry. The only reason the Dark Lord didn't kill him is because Dumbledore showed up to save him. That'll change soon enough. He'll get what's coming to him." Malfoy glared at the boy in question across the Great Hall. "Remember what I said Greengrass, and make the smart decision."

Suddenly he leaned forward to whisper directly in her ear, she barely managed to contain her shiver of disgust, "If you don't make the right choice, I'm sure one of my fathers particularly unsavory contacts would find little Astoria a delectable little treat. It's a shame she most likely won't survive the experience." Daphne's fists tightened in rage at what Malfoy was implying, but no words came to mind as she saw red. His disgusting smirk dropped a moment later as he again leant in even closer, "I will have you Daphne. Even if I have to tie you to the bed and force your legs apart myself. I. Will. Have. You."

The blonde boy straightened, sent one last smirk in her direction, before sauntering away with his bodyguards in tow, leaving Daphne frozen in her spot.

"Daphne… Daphne… DAPHNE!" Tracey attempted to get her attention.

"Hmm?"

"What did he say? Daphne? What did he say at the end there?"

She didn't know how to answer Tracey. She knew she could probably take Malfoy in a fight, but she was terrified for her sister. She knew exactly who he had been referring to. Fenrir Greyback had a known inkling for young children. Whether it was rape, creating more werewolves, or both. She momentarily wondered if spreading her legs for Malfoy would be worth her family's protection, before remembering the sad truth. No one was safe, no matter what side you're on. It was known that the Dark Lord killed more of his own followers in fits of rage than Aurors or Dumbledore's order did combined. The very idea of Malfoy forcing himself on her disgusted her. She knew she'd now probably have nightmares for months.

"Come on Daphne, let's get out of here," she let Tracey pull her out of the hall, wondering what she was going to tell her. There had to be a better options for her future.

* * *

"Did you hear?" Daphne asked as she dragged her friend into her bedroom at Greengrass Manor and quickly shut the door. It had been about three weeks since her confrontation with Malfoy in the Great Hall.

"Hear what? Tracey asked exasperated by the fact that she'd been dragged halfway across the house as soon as she exited the Floo.

"Sirius Black named Potter as his heir. Malfoy's not getting his hands on the Black family Lordship."

"What?" Tracey nearly screeched. "I thought Black was out to kill Potter. Why would he name him his heir?"

"I just found out he was his godfather."

"B-b-but… that would mean he didn't betray the Potters. His oath as godfather wouldn't allow it."

"Exactly!"

"Merlin! This changes everything! How did he die?"

"I overheard from father that he was killed fighting Bellatrix Lestrange during Potters battle during the Ministry."

"Do you reckon that's why he looked so awful afterwards?"

""Most likely."

They both paused for a minute as they thought it all over.

"But if Potter was so upset afterwards, that means he knew his godfather was innocent. If he knew he was innocent, it's no stretch of the imagination that Dumbledore knew as well. Dumbledore was Chief Warlock, he could have easily called for a trial for him. I-it doesn't make any sense!"

"But that's the thing Tracey! I think it makes perfect sense. You said it a long time ago, but we brushed it off as we thought there was no way the great and powerful Albus Dumbledore, leader or the light, would stoop so low, but now I think you were right. In the conversation I overheard between my parents, I heard that Dumbledore showed up in Potters place at Black's will reading, saying Potter wasn't interested in going, and wasn't interested in taking up his Lordship yet!"

"What?"

"I know. If he doesn't claim it within the year, it will go to the next in line. If I know one thing about Potter, as much as it's obvious he hates all the attention, he wouldn't let his godfather's family fall into the control of Draco Bloody Malfoy."

"So what does this all mean?"

"Like I said earlier, I think you were right before. I think Dumbledore has been actively hiding Potter's heritage from him."

Tracey gasped, "B-but that would be construed as line theft!"

"I know, but who would ever suspect Albus Dumbledore." Daphne shook her head in disgust. "It makes sense. It would be why he hasn't taken control of House Potter, let alone even wear his heir ring. I know for a fact he hasn't made any contacts with House Potter's allies. I know he is somewhat friendly with Longbottom, but has never approached Susan Bones. The Bones and Longbottoms have always been allied with the Potters. My father is always watching that kind of thing. Dumbledore's been the proxy for their seats in the Wizengamot ever since his parents death."

"This is crazy! He probably has no idea he's being taken advantage of. What's Dumbledore playing at, he's making him an easier target for You-Know-Who!"

"Why Tracey, don't tell me your buying into all those rumours in the Prophet about Potter being the chosen one!"

"No! Well, I don't know. Maybe… he has survived him several times."

"He has," Daphne allowed, "but I think the whole idea of Chosen One is ridiculous. Knowing Potter's luck though, it probably wouldn't surprise me if I found out he was."

"So what do we do now? D-do you think we should tell him?"

"That's what I was about to suggest."

"Ok… well we'll have to do it in secret because if we're caught it's the same thing as openly declaring our family's against the You-Know-Who. Unless that's your plan?" Tracey said the last bit sarcastically. Daphne didn't respond causing her friends mouth to drop open. "Is that your plan?"

"He's the Potter and Black heir now."

"So?"

"He's… going to need two wives."

The room was silent for a moment.

"You think we should marry Potter?"

"I do. First of all, despite being a Half-Blood, his families' are old enough our father's probably wouldn't object. They're traditionalists but don't buy into the Death Eater notion of blood purity, hence why our families have always remained neutral before now. More importantly, we've already both agreed he's the only man we know who we're attracted to. If we do this we can stay together. We wouldn't be married ourselves, but we'd be sister-wives. We can keep our relationship, and just basically add Potter into it."

"Do you think he'd go for it?"

"Are you kidding me? This is basically every teenage male's wet dream. I've heard some problems wizards with multiple wives have had in the past is if they try to force more than one into bed at once. From what I know of Potter he probably would never try that, but it won't be a problem anyway. We're already in love with each other." Tracey blushed at Daphne's words.

"How will this protect our families though?"

"It won't, not at first, but it will buy us time. The Death Eaters will hold off trying to pressure us right away. Having Potter involved will make them hesitate, as they try to plan for this new situation. That time will be crucial for us to get things set up. We can teach him what he needs to know and help him gather his allies. The Potters were always known for their wards. I bet he has a highly protected manor out there that he doesn't even know about."

"Ok. If we're going to do this how will it work? You're not just going to owl him are you? Could you imagine that: _'Hi Potter. It's Daphne and Tracey. We're Slytherin girls from your year you've only spoken to us a couple times in the last five years. Please ignore how suspicious this letter is and agree to marry us both.'_ Like that would work." Tracey snorted.

Daphne narrowed her eyes, "I wasn't suggesting we owl him. We need to explain all this to him in person. There's no reason for him to trust an owl, plus owl post isn't secure anymore."

"Well it's not like we know where he lives. No one does!"

"That's not true," Daphne looked particularly pleased with herself.

Now it was Tracey's turn to narrow her eyes, "Spill. Now."

"I may have snuck into my father's study, and looked through his copy of the minutes of past Wizengamot meetings."

"And?"

"And in one particular meeting last summer, Harry's trial was held. One of the standard questions asked at the beginning of trials are the defendant's home address."

"That's it? It was that easy? What's to stop Death Eaters from using that to go attack his home?"

"I'm sure there are wards in place to protect him from attack."

"You think they'll let us through?"

"Most likely. We don't bear Potter any ill will. I'm sure Granger and Weasley visit him there."

"Oh Merlin! I forgot we'll probably have to deal with those two if we go through with this."

"Not necessarily. Granger and Weasley worship Dumbledore like he's a god. If Harry ends up moving against him… I'm not sure what they'll do. Even if they do remain friends, we'll have to try our best to get along with his friends. It's only fair."

"I guess… so if we're going to do this, when are we going to go?"

* * *

Harry Potter grimaced as he traded one pare of his cousins ridiculously oversized castoffs for another cleaner pair. He'd just finished helping out with breakfast and was now getting ready to head out and mow the lawn before his aunt started screeching at him to do it.

Tucking his holly and phoenix feather wand into his waistband, he exited his room in time to hear the doorbell ring. Stopping on the top landing, Harry decided to wait and try and discern who was there. If it was one or more of Dudley's friends, he wanted to try and avoid the inevitable confrontation. His cousin hadn't actively tried to come after him in several years, but he'd witnessed several of his mates chomping at the bit to do so. They couldn't understand why Dudley didn't want to go 'Harry Hunting' anymore. Harry knew why though. He knew Dudley thought he'd curse him into oblivion if he tried.

He heard his aunt answer the door.

"Hello," the girl's voice sounded somewhat familiar but he couldn't place them.

"Oh are you here to see Dudley, I'm sorry to say he's out with hi-"

"No, we're looking for Harry Potter." There was silence in the house.

"Y-you're one of them aren't you?" His aunt's voice was trembling slightly.

"What?" It was another female voice.

"You two are more freaks just like him!" His aunt's voice rose in pitch. Harry was actually surprised she let herself get that loud seeing as the door was open and the neighbours could hear.

"Excuse me?" The first girl's voice had a dangerous edge to it now.

Realizing the situation was most likely going to get out of hand, he rushed down the stairs and went around the corner, only to come to a screeching halt. He was shocked to see some of the last people he was expecting.

"Greengrass. Davis," he acknowledged them.

"Potter," it was Daphne that spoke. Tracey just smiled. His mind was racing trying to figure out why they were here. His first thoughts were that it was some kind of Death Eater trap, but he soon discarded that. He didn't know the two girls that well, but he did enough to know they weren't involved with Voldemort. They were probably the only two Slytherins he'd spoken to that wasn't a result of some kind of confrontation. They'd always been polite, and he could tell they were both highly intelligent. Another point in their favor was the fact that he knew they hated Malfoy and his cronies almost as much as he did.

"What are you two doing here?"

"We have information for you Potter," once again his mind was awhirl. Information? The only thing he could think about would be if they had information about Voldemort. Maybe something they'd overheard from other Slytherins? He considered sending a note off to Dumbledore. The Order would probably like to know any information they could get there hands on, but he paused. Dumbledore had promised to keep in the loop from now on, yet he hadn't received any correspondence from him or his friends in weeks. He decided to hear them out first, then decide on what he wanted to share.

"Well come on in then." He heard his aunt stuttering something in protest, but he ignored her. If this really had to do with Voldemort, it would be important. His aunt could go and shove it for all he cared.

As they entered the house, he finally got a good look at the both of them out of their robes, and he had to admit they looked good. He knew they were considered some of the most attractive witches in his year. Even Ron, who hates Slytherin's, had commented on how hot they looked. Daphne was quite tall and slim. She had long pale blond hair that stretched all the way down her back to her waist, and bright blue eyes. What he noticed easier now, in their muggle clothes, was her medium sized bust and amazing behind. He thought it looked just as good in the tight jeans she was currently wearing than it did in the short skirts she usually wore as a part of her school uniform.

Eyes shifting to Tracey, he had to admit she looked just as good. She was shorter than Daphne, actually just slightly shorter than himself. Her hair was a darker strawberry blonde that was much wavier than her friend. It reached down just below her shoulders. She was curvier than Daphne, and was visibly larger in the chest. Harry couldn't help but notice that the shirt she'd chosen to wear seemed a bit strained.

Shaking himself out of these thoughts he began heading deeper into the house, his aunt finally spoke up more, "If they're going to be here, you can go up to your room. I won't be having any of your kind dirtying my house." She marched passed him into the kitchen, her mouth set in a thin line.

Rolling his eyes, he sighed. "This way then."

Heading up the stairs, he saw Daphne eyeing his clothes out of the corner of his eye. Pushing down his embarrassment, he led them into his room. Daphne continued to eye his room in the same manner, "Nice accommodations Potter."

"Well it's better than the bloody cupboa-" he began to snap, before he stopped himself. He'd been working lately on controlling his emotions, so wouldn't snap at people as much as he had the year before. "Nevermind. Why are you two here? You have information? Is it something to do with Voldemort?" He saw the two girls twitch slightly at the name, but it wasn't nearly as bad as he'd seen others do.

"In a way. It's all connected, but mostly this is about you."

"Oh… well do explain then."

Daphne was silent, thinking, for a minute before she asked, "How much do you know about your station?"

"My what?" Daphne sighed.

"Ok Potter. There's some things I need to tell you that are really important. They're things you should have been informed of years ago, but I need you to actually listen to what I'm saying without freaking out. My family are traditionalists. Always have been. That doesn't mean that we hate muggles or muggleborn. A lot of people label us the same as Death Eaters, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. The Death Eaters have taken the Traditionalist ideas and corrupted them as an excuse to murder, rape, and torture. If the true traditionalists actually came into power, it would be more about teaching Muggleborns about our ways, and protecting our heritage. It's actually very similar to the muggleborn movement, except they want all of that and to tear down the old traditions. We're all for integrating new members into our society, but we won't let us lose our history in the process."

Harry was actually surprised about the passion with which Daphne spoke. He'd never seen her show this much emotion in Hogwarts. "I understand, and I'll listen to what you have to say. Just a word of advice though, any time someone starts with 'don't freak out' people tend to freak out."

"It's true Daph," Tracey giggled. That's probably the worst way to start things off.

Daphne just glared at the two of them, "Already teaming up on me are we?" Tracey laughed again, but Harry just felt a bit confused. "Ok, now for the even harder part. We don't have proof of any of the stuff I'm about to share, but if we're right, you will be able to confirm it all very easily. So please wait before you get angry. If you check and we are completely wrong, then you have my blessing to be as mad as you want, but please check first."

"Ok, now you're getting me very worried." Sighing he continued, "You might as well get on with it."

"Ok. As you know, the old pureblood families are very important in our society." Harry had resist the urge to make a comment. He was tired of all the bigoted pureblood politics, but he'd told Daphne he'd listen so he held his tongue. "The true reason behind this is that the heads of all those families are actually Lords."

"Lords? As in-" Harry interrupted.

"Yes, Lords. It goes back several hundred years to before the muggle and magical worlds split apart. The Potters are one of such families."

"What?" Daphne cowed him with a look.

"Yes they are. When you decide to take up up your post as head of house Potter, you will become Lord Potter."

"What does that mean?"

Tracey cut in, "Well, other than the fancy title, you'll be emancipated which will free you from the Restriction for Underage Sorcery. It will also allow you full access to your family vaults in Gringotts and give you control over your family seats on the Wizengamot."

"You probably won't have many more problems with the Ministry either. If they try to play games with the Lord of an Ancient House, the other Lords will get upset and turn on the Ministry. I know Fudge wouldn't have dared go through with that farce of a trial last year, if you were Lord Potter. The Wizengamot wouldn't have stood for it. They all know you're the Potter heir, even if you don't wear your ring, and that's probably more to do with why you got off last year than if they actually thought you were innocent or not." Daphne explained.

"B-but I didn't know. Why didn't anyone tell me?" Daphne and Tracey looked at each other.

"Now this is the part we were talking about, the thing we want you to listen to what we have to say about." At his nod they continued. "We think Dumbledore is purposely keeping you in the dark about your heritage for some unknown reason. He knows all of this and hasn't done anything. A lot of the crazy stuff that's happened to you over the years probably wouldn't have happened if you had been informed about this stuff."

Harry's mouth was gaping like a fish. "Dumbledore… you think- no. He-" The more Harry actually thought it through the less crazy it sounded, especially after everything he'd found out about lately. So much for no more secrets old man! "What else do you two know to support this theory?"

He noted that Daphne and Tracey looked shocked at his answer, and he figured, even with their warning, he would have reacted worse than he had. "You should have been given the option to claim your heir ring when you turned eleven and then your full Lordship at thirteen. It's the job of your current magical guardian to explain this to you."

"Magical guardian?"

"Dumbledore."

Harry just shook his head. Of course! Then he suddenly had a thought, "How do you know all this Daphne? And you too Tracey? Shouldn't all for this information be kept confidential?"

Harry was shocked when he saw Daphne blush slightly for the first time, looking embarrassed, "My father's on the Wizengamot. I snuck into his office, and looked through his files and read the transcript of your trial last summer. It had all the information there."

Tracey laughed at her friend's embarrassment, "It's where she found your address too."

"I was wondering about that. Now, I'm sure you've got more. I'm not sure if anything would surprise me about Dumbledore anymore. Hit me with it." Daphne again, shared a surprised look. "Dumbledore's also been using your family's seat on the Wizengamot as your proxy ever since your parents died."

"Ok… is that all?"

"Errr… no," Tracey hedged.

"Ok, whatever you have to say is obviously big, so just get on with it."

"Your godfather named you his heir." Harry froze. Sudden flashes of Sirius flowing through his mind.

"H-his heir?" His throat felt strangely tight.

Daphne continued on, "Yes, his heir. You're next in line to be Lord Black. This will make you one of the very few wizards with more than one Lordship, and probably the richest Wizard in England."

"How do you know Sirius named me his heir?"

"I heard my dad talking. It all came out in his will reading last week."

"Will reading? There was a will reading?"

"Yes, my father also said that Dumbledore attended. He claimed he was there in your stead, and had your permission to represent him. He even had supposed signed documentation to prove it. After it was finished, he claimed you had too much on your plate at the moment and were not currently interested in taking up the Black Lordship. This now means you have under a year to claim it, or it will be available to the next in line, who just happens to be Malfoy. His mother was Sirius' cousin. Your grandmother on your father's side was born a Black. The Lordship would have actually gone to Malfoy first by default, but since Sirius, the previous Lord Black, named you his heir, it trumped that."

Harry jumped to his feet, trembling. He was trying to force down the rage he felt burning in his chest to little effect. He'd been angry at Dumbledore after everything he'd learned at the end of the year surrounding the prophecy, but he had still trusted him for the most part. Now that trust was broken for good. The stuff he'd learned about the Potter Lordship had been bad enough, but it was the this last bit about Sirius that had pushed him over the edge. Sirius had been the closest thing he'd had to family in his life, and finding out that Dumbledore had been trying to keep him away from things Sirius had wanted him to have infuriated him. He'd been laying in bed just the other day wishing he had more stuff to remember him by, especially after he'd broken his mirror in his earlier grief.

So lost in his thoughts, Harry didn't notice the wide eyed looks the two girls were giving him, as he leaked a visible aura. Eventually, he was able to start settling down, as he forced himself to take deep, slow breaths. Taking a seat he turned back to his two guests, "What can I do to fix all this?"

"The main thing you need is to get to Gringotts, and accept your two Lordships. It will open a lot more doors for you. You'll also be able to inquire about your other properties. I know the Potters have a manor out there somewhere, and from what I know of your families speciality with wards, it will be just as or better protected than here." Daphne explained looking relieved that he'd calmed down.

"Well, Gringotts it is then, but now I've got to ask why you're helping me? Why did you come all the way out here to tell me this? What are you getting out of it, or what are you wanting in return?"

"Oh I see your understanding how the world works Potter? Maybe you would have made a decent Slytherin after all."

"The hat did want to want to put me there. Just decided I didn't want to deal with a poncy git like Malfoy all the time so I begged it to put me in Gryffindor."

"What!" Both girls exclaimed in unison, wearing equally shocked expressions.

Harry laughed at their expressions. Probably his first laugh since Sirius had died, but he soon turned serious, "So what do you two want in return?"

"It's not that we want something in return so much as- OW!" Tracy had smacked her arm. "Oh fine! We do want something, but we probably would've come and helped you anyway. It's more that we just happen to need your help with something."

"Geez Daph you're gonna put him to sleep, if you keep evading the subject!" Said girl just huffed in response. "What she's trying to say is that once you claim your Lordship we would like your help protecting our families."

"Protecting your families?" Harry was shocked.

"Yes, the Death Eaters are coming down on them hard to join up. They won't be able to refuse much longer and stay safe," Daphne added.

"Tell him what Draco said to you at the end of the year."

"What?" Daphne looked bewildered at her friend, and to his surprise a little fearful.

"He deserves to know, Daph," Tracy pressed.

"Fine. Do you know who Fenrir Greyback is?"

"Werewolf Death Eater right?" She nodded. "He's the one who bit Professor Lupin as a child," he muttered to himself. Then realizing what he'd just shared started to panic. "Please keep that to yourself. I shouldn't have shared that. It's private."

Both girls nodded and Daphne continued, "At the end of the year, he was threatening to set Greyback on my little sister Astoria if our family refuses to join the Death Eaters. Draco and his father have been trying to set up a marriage contract with my father for me for years. Luckily, he never gave in. Draco then said even if my father still continued to refuse, next year he'd take me no matter what. He said h-h-he'd tie me to my bed and force himself on me." Daphne's voice was cracking at the end, and he wished he knew how to comfort her. Tracey took care of that a moment later when she pulled her friend into a hug.

Once that was taken care of, he felt his anger start to bubble up again. Malfoy sickened him. He couldn't believe he thought he could get away with stuff like that. "I can't believe that little git! I've been telling people for years he's bad news. I've been saying it for years! But of course no one ever believes me! Now he's going around threatening to rape people, and pretty much admitting to other students that he's a Death Eater! Has he been arrested? Or at least expelled? No! Of course not! He even gets out of detentions all the time cause he's got Snape looking out for him at all times!" Harry was breathing heavily at the end of his rant. "What do I need to do to protect your families. I'm not sure how I can help, as I barely seem to be able to protect myself, but I don't care what it takes. I will not let that slimy little bastard lay a hand on either of you!"

"Well protection doesn't necessarily mean physical protection. A lot more could be done by aligning our families."

"And how do we go about doing that?"

Both girls paused again for a moment before Tracey spoke, "As Lord Potter and Lord Black you're going to be required to take two wives." Silence descended over the room, as Harry slumped back on his bed watching the two girls. "Well, at least he hasn't said no outright, eh Daph."

"I...I…I need more than one wife?"

"Yep," Tracey popped the 'p' loudly. Daphne remained silent watching harry apprehensively.

"You… you both want to get married to me?" He asked weakly.

"Yep!"

"B-b-but we don't even know each other that well… I… two wives! How will we... you're both ok with being in a three way relationship?"

"Tracey and I have already been seeing each other in secret for the last two years."

Harry took a moment to absorb that new information," You… you're both… you're-"

"We're bisexual Potter."

"Oh… I see," he managed to say. Harry couldn't deny that the two girls before him had starred in more than a fair share of his fantasies, like they had in most of the male population of Hogwarts, but now as he struggled to keep his mind on the conversation, it started conjuring sensual images of the two girls in front of him together. He crossed his legs and shifted on the edge of the bed to try and to hide his body's reaction.

"And you two want to add me to your relationship?"

"In effect yes, out of all the prospective males in the school, you're the only one we both find attractive. It also helps that you are one of the few who will have two Lordships which would allow us to stay together."

Harry felt Daphne's response sounded a little too clinical for his tastes which wasn't very reassuring. Luckily Tracey seemed to have felt the same thing and quickly jumped in, "What Daphne means to say is that while we love each other and are happy in our relationship, we both fancy you." She blushed a little. "I've had to constantly remind Daphne all year to stop ogling your arse so openly when we see you."

"Tracey!" Daphne seemed appalled at her friend's, or Harry guessed girlfriend's, admission. Harry too was blushing at this point, and had begun to sit a little bit straighter. There was nothing quite like the confidence boost achieved when two attractive girls tell you they fancy you.

"Oh… err… thanks, but you wouldn't rather stay in your relationship on your own? This isn't all because you want protection for your parents?"

"We just told you why we want this Potter! Are you insinuating that were trying to use you for our own ends?" Daphne's voice started to raise a bit at the end, making Harry wince as he realized he hadn't been very tactful in his last question.

"Daph, calm down!" Tracy interjected.

"No I won't calm down! He's trying to say that we'd sell our bodies like common whores to get what we want!"

"That not what I meant!" Harry's voice came out louder than he intended, and he didn't notice the flare of magic that came off him as he did. He continued speaking softer, "I'm sorry it came out like it did. I'm not insinuating anything. After the things I've learned lately, especially after what you told me today, I've been having problems trusting people. I'm sorry if I seem paranoid, it's something you pick up when your number one of Voldemorts hit list."

Daphne nodded her acceptance of his apology, but it was Tracey who spoke, "It's ok Harry. We understand. A healthy dash of paranoia is what lets students survive their seven years in Slytherin house. Like we said earlier, we both like you. We actually contemplated approaching you a while ago before any of this happened. We've both always known that our fathers will end up marrying us off. They'll never allow us to be together in a relationship. We are both the heiress' of our families. We have obligations to fulfil. Before now, you were only in line one for one Lordship, so you wouldn't have been able to marry us both, and we couldn't start any kind of short term relationship with a boy before we were betrothed. We'd also agreed not to pursue you since we both liked you. We didn't want to ruin our relationship by trying to compete for your affections. Now it's different though. You're allowed to take on two wives. Apart from that, it comes down to the status of the war. We don't know if you really are the Chosen One, prophesied to take down Voldemort like the Daily Prophet is suggesting, but we both know you'll be central to this war. We don't trust Dumbledore, and we'll never join You-Kno- err… screw it… Voldemort! We want to join your side! Whether you believe us now or not, once you've claimed your Lordships and reconnected with your allies, you will be your own side in this war!"

Harry sat there aghast at everything she'd just said. It was like a short speech in and of itself. He was surprised to hear that the Prophet was printing rumours about the prophecy. He wondered how they had come across that information. He briefly considered that some one on Voldemort's side had leaked the news. He knew Voldemort probably wouldn't want anyone to know that there was someone out there who could beat him, but Harry could also see the benefits of leaking it as well. If the public found out that he was the one who had to defeat Voldemort, they would probably started clamoring for him to get on with it. He'd start getting pressured from all sides, and most likely the longer he took to finish him off, the more the public would turn against him. Harry knew he'd need to think on this some more.

"Wow… err.. Wow! I don't know what to say."

"I guess it would best to tell us if you're even interested in marrying us." Tracy actually looked a little vulnerable after asking the question while Daphne's emotionless mask seemed to harden even more.

"Yes of course I do… well… I don't know…. I do... it's just," Harry sighed and took a deep breath. "I do like you two… a lot. I know we don't know each other that well, but I've always known you weren't members of Malfoy's posse. You never harassed me or my friends, and the few times we've spoken you were both always nice. I could tell you're both smart too and then there's the obvious fact that you're both… err… very… beautiful." Tracey smiled brightly at his words, and even Daphne allowed a small upturn of her lips. "It's just the thought of marriage that scares me a little bit. I'm only sixteen!"

"We'd just be signing a betrothal contract Potter. We wouldn't have to get married right away."

"Oh right. I forgot about that. The other stuff about the alliances is really attractive for me. I don't agree with how Dumbledore or the Ministry is handling this war. I don't want to have to kill, but the current methods aren't working. Now, on the rare occasion they actually manage to capture some Death Eaters, and they get thrown in Azkaban, Voldemort just breaks them out the next day to murder and rape some more. They need to be put down permanently. Even if at least captured properly. Right now all the Aurors and Order are using are stunners while the Death Eaters are throwing around Killing Curses. Even if they aren't going to use the unforgivables, mending an allies broken bones is harder than simply enervating them."

Harry noted that Daphne's smile seemed to be growing the more he spoke, and by the end it was actually quite predatory, "I think this could be the beginning of a great relationship. I couldn't have said the words better myself. If we truly want to protect society, it might be a good idea to arrange a little accident for Draco next year. I misplaced severing charm to the groin will do everyone a world of good." Despite Harry's hatred for the boy, and his disgust at the threats he'd made to Daphne, he could help but shudder at the casual way in which she contemplated her revenge. One thing was certain, he never ever wanted to piss off Daphne Greengrass.

"So what's next then? Do we head to Gringotts?"

"I believe that would be best."

"Well if we're really going to do this, you can start calling me Harry, and if its ok I'll call you Daphne and Tracey."

"Of course Harry!" Tracey jumped in.

"I'm sure that would be fine under the circumstances Pott- Harry." Daphne's voice had softened considerably as she said this. She still didn't seem as relaxed as Tracey, but it was a start.

"Great!" Harry began gathering his things before he had a thought. "Say, how did you two sneak passed the Order guard?"

"Order?" Tracey asked.

"The Order of the Phoenix."

"Ah yes. I heard about Dumbledore's little vigilante group. They guard you here? We didn't see anyone."

"Well there was that one gross drunk guy asleep in the bushes. Daph thought it might just be some muggle thing, but I wasn't sure."

Harry just facepalmed and groaned.


	2. Heritage

**Chapter 2:** _ **Heritage**_

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _Another chapter for you guys. Pretty much the standard Gringotts chapter. The first couple chapters are going probably end up being pretty standard to indy!Harry fics, but I'm trying to move through it as quickly as possible. Hopefully all the "set up" for the story can finished by the end of the next chapter._

 _I have to say I am amazed by the response to this story. Over 250 follows and almost 150 favorites after only one chapter! I really appreciate all the support. Please keep leaving me reviews to let me know what you all think. Enjoy!_

* * *

Harry stumbled, feeling quite dizzy, as he exited the Knight Bus outside of the Leaky Cauldron. Luckily for him, Daphne and Tracey were able to to grab his arms on either side in time, so he didn't do a face plant into the ground.

"Thanks," he blushed in embarrassment. Daphne just gave him one of her trademark smirks, but he could see the amusement dancing in her blue eyes. "Onwards to Gringotts then."

The trio entered the dingy pub, and to his surprise, the two girls kept holding onto his arms. As they passed by tightly placed tables, they had to squeeze themselves in closer to get through, and Harry found he could easily get used to this new situation he'd found himself in. The pub itself was emptier than he'd ever seen it, with only a few dreary customers seated at the bar, getting drinks from Tom.

The middle aged barkeep looked a mixture of surprise and amusement at the fact that Harry was escorting two ladies into the Alley, but he didn't comment, only giving a nod of recognition as he passed. Harry figured he'd learned not to announce his name out loud after the time he had in his first year. Harry inclined his head in response, before heading out the back door.

"Would one of you ladies mind opening the way or at least allow me to free my hands for a second to do so?"

"I've got it Harry!" Tracey moved away and suddenly her wand was in her head. He didn't even see her pull it out making him wonder if she'd had it out the whole time. He figured it was probably a good idea, especially these days.

Diagon Alley, much like the pub they'd just left, was severely lacking in shoppers. The ones that were present, scuttled around quickly, looking over their shoulders nervously every few seconds. Most of the major shops he'd gone to in past years were still open, yet some of the smaller ones were boarded up.

All of the shops, both closed and open, sported numerous Ministry pamphlets. Some carried the familiar moving pictures of the escaped Azkaban inmates, while others gave the Ministry's advice on protecting one's families from dark forces. Harry had seen one of said pamphlets a couple weeks earlier, and he would have gotten a laugh out of them if he hadn't realized the misinformation would likely get people killed.

As Harry, Daphne, and Tracey approached the giant marble bank, he stopped suddenly, taking in another particular shop that was clearly abandoned. "Ollivander is gone!"

"Of course, haven't you been the Daily Prophet?" Daphne asked incredulously.

"Uhhh… no. I haven't been getting it at all. I forgot to get a subscription before the end of the year. I usually used to read Hermione's copy. I wasn't interested in subscribing before that cause most of the time they were telling lies about me."

Daphne sighed, "Why didn't you just send in an owl order then?"

"Oh… I never thought of that."

"Don't worry Harry. We'll get you a subscription once we're done here today," Tracey gave him a small pat on the shoulder.

Entering Gringotts, Harry immediately noticed that there seemed to be more guards on duty from the last time he'd been here. The armed goblins followed them with their eyes as they began to cross the floor, menacingly fingering their weapons. Stopping in front of a free teller, Harry waited in silence as the goblin seemed completely focused on weighing the blood red gem in his hand.

"What do you want, wizard?" The goblin barked out his question without glancing up from his task.

"I was hoping that I could speak to my account manager please?" The goblin finally looked up, and just stared at him. After a moment he started to feel a little uncomfortable. Why was the goblin just looking at him? Had he done something wrong? He'd said exactly what the girls had coached him to say.

"And?" The goblin growled.

"And what?"

"For what house?" The goblin was starting to sound impatient which he knew was not a good sign.

"Potter and Black," he informed him, feeling quite foolish. As much as he hated it, Harry had become quite accustomed to people just knowing who he was. It appeared he didn't rate as highly with the goblins as he did to most wizards.

"Fine. Follow me," The goblin hopped off his high stool and began waddling quickly away towards one of the many long hallways that branched off from the main chamber.

"Thank you very much sir." The goblin grunted without even sparing him a glance.

He suddenly got an elbow to the ribs, causing him to momentarily stumble to the side. "What was that for?" Harry asked shooting a glare at Daphne.

"What were you doing back there?"

"What do you mean?"

"With the goblin, you dunce?"

"I was just trying to be polite. I know they don't always get the best treatment from wizards so I thought if I was polite, they might be more inclined to have a good working relationship in the future."

Daphne laughed. It was actually the first time he'd her laugh. It was beautiful, and freeing. For a fleeting second he saw behind all her masks to the teenager inside, but soon enough her face was once more impassive, "You're not supposed to be polite to goblins Harry. They're a warrior race. They respect strength. They might even take your earlier politeness as a sign of weakness. Be careful." Despite her quick return to the serious, Harry could still detect a trace of amusement in her voice.

"Just be firm and direct with them, but not rude, unless you catch them trying to swindle you are something. Goblins will use usually go after whatever makes them the most profit, but if they have two options with equal opportunities for them, they'll probably choose the one that gives humans the hardest time. Our races do not get on well, and they'll stab you in the back as quickly as they'll help you," Harry knew Tracey was trying to reassure him by giving him more advice, but it only preceded to make him more nervous.

He'd been intimidated by them ever since Hagrid had declared, _'_ _Clever as they come, goblins, but not the most friendly of beasts.'_ The more Harry had gotten to know Hagrid the more significant that statement had become, especially seeing the types of 'beasts' he considered cute and cuddly. Harry did not want to cross the goblins if he could avoid it.

They finally stopped at a door. It seemed to be made of the same stone as the walls in the hall, and he couldn't help but wonder how it worked. It had to be magical. The goblin stepped forward and raised his hand up to the stone. Extending on finger, his long curved nail seemed to sink into the stone as if it were made of butter, he then proceeded to draw some kind of pattern. Barely a moment later, it swung smoothly, which almost seem to defy the physics of the material of which it was comprised.

Stepping into the office, the trio followed their guide who stopped in front of a large raised desk, behind which sat an incredibly old goblin, "I have brought the Heir of House Potter and Black to see you at their request Steelwing."

The old goblin looked up and surveyed them through narrowed eyes, "Very well. Leave us." The other goblin bowed before leaving. Turning back to Harry, "What do you want Mr. Potter? You have not returned any official Gringotts communications and only touched your trust vault a few times, leaving the others completely untouched. I was starting to look forward to filling my own coffers from the confiscated items in your vaults as it appeared they were going to go unclaimed... but it appears I was wrong."

"You could have confiscated my vaults?" Harry was nervous at this news. What else didn't he know about.

"Of course Mr. Potter," Steelwing smiled, which was quite disheartening for Harry as he got a good look at the goblins sharp teeth, "Being the last Potter, if you had left it unclaimed by the end of your seventeenth birthday, it would become the Goblin Nations property."

"But I didn't even know about my other vaults until today! And I've never received any letters from Gringotts! Dumbledore has bee-"

"Gringotts does not care for the affairs of wizards. We have been sending the letters. If they are intercepted outside of the bank it is not our business. What Mr. Dumbledore gets up to isn't either, unless he has broken goblin law."

Harry was a little disappointed that he wouldn't be getting any other help from here. He tried to quickly think of anything else when he got an idea, "Dumbledore lied to the Goblin Nation at the will reading of Sirius Black. He claimed to be there on my behalf and showed a forged note giving him permission!"

"We know."

Harry's mental processes screeched to a halt, "What?"

"We know. We can easily detect forgeries"

"And you didn't do anything about it?" Harry's temper was starting to rise, but a warning touch on his shoulder stopped him from exploding.

"Mr. Dumbledore didn't break goblin law so there was nothing for us to do. He was included in the will so was able to access the reading anyway. He didn't try to take any of your possessions, nor influence your accounts. If he had done that, we would have enacted goblin justice and informed you. It is none of our concern if he is intercepting your mail outside of Gringotts and or is neglecting his duties. That is for your ministry to deal with. Again, what is it you need today Mr. Potter?"

From the goblins response, Harry could tell they'd been aware of some of the things Dumbledore had been up to, and it irritated him that they just ignored it because it didn't technically break any of their laws, but like earlier, he forced it down, "I'm here to claim the Lordship of House Potter and House Black."

"Very well," Steelwing pulled out two small boxes from somewhere within his desk. "Each box contains one of your Head of House rings. Try them on one at a time. If the ring accepts you, you will see a small flash of light and it will resize to fit your finger. This will officially signify having claimed your status as Head of House."

"What happens if the ring doesn't accept me?"

"You will die, or at the very least lose your mind." It was said in a very matter of fact tone as if it was an everyday occurrence for someone to die or lose their mind. It didn't make Harry feel any better about what he was about to do.

"Oh…," he gulped, "I see."

Approaching the desk, Harry picked up the first box. Flipping it open he was met with a glint of gold. At first he thought he was looking at the Gryffindor lion, but he soon realized it was an actual gryphon, reared up on its hind legs, wings expanded. There was a small ruby inlaid as the eye of the magnificent animal.

Pulling it out of the box, he noticed slimmer band nestled beside it that he assumed would be for the future Lady Potter. He clicked the box closed and set it back on the desk. The other ring would wait until he actually got married. Steeling himself, he pushed the ring onto one of his fingers. He relaxed slightly as the ring flashed and shrunk to the perfect fit. To his surprise, he felt a pulse of magic race through his body as he did so. It felt warm and familiar.

Taking a breath he did the same to the next box. This ring seemed to made primarily of silver. The crest housed three ravens and an armored arm holding a wand aloft. It also prominently displayed the House motto: Toujours Pure. Each of the raven's eyes seemed to be tiny inlaid diamonds. As he placed this ring on another finger, it too flashed and resized to fit. The magical pulse that was dispensed this time seemed colder almost, but not unwelcoming. It also appeared larger as well, as Harry could feel it flowing out of him and through the walls of the bank, into the unknown.

"Woah! What was that?"

"I believe that was magic accepting you as Lord Black. Did you not feel something similar after donning the Potter family ring?" Daphne asked.

"I did, but this one seemed different, the Potter ring seemed to almost throw a wave of magic inside of me, yet the Black family ring seemed to pulse outwards."

"Well you are the last Potter. There are still members of the Black family alive. It was probably just searching them out," Tracey suggested.

"Hmm.. maybe-"

Steelwing interrupted, "Is that all you need Lord Potter, or are you going to waste even more of my time with your… questions."

Harry scowled, "I just need to visit the Potter vault. Then I'll be done." He wasn't sure that he was ready to visit the Black vault yet. There wasn't anything he needed in there just yet, and if it was anything like Grimmauld Place, it was probably full of cursed objects, that he knew he didn't have the experience to deal with.

"Fine. I'll call a goblin to take you and your guests down. Now get out of my office."

"He was a real piece of work," Harry commented as they waited out in the hall.

"I told you so," Harry just stuck his tongue out at the blonde pureblood girl causing her to huff in annoyance.

"Some of the lower down goblins are a bit nicer, especially to important clients, but the account managers are always nasty old buggers," Tracey added. "I think by the time they rise high enough to fill that position, they're so old they're always ornery."

A younger looking goblin waddled into view, "I am to take you to your vaults. Follow me."

"See Harry," Tracey indicated towards the goblins back as they followed him. Harry just gave her an incredulous glance. He didn't strictly consider this goblin that polite. Tracey sighed before leaning over to whisper in his ear, "They're still goblins Harry. At least this one hasn't tried to insult you yet. That's polite for a goblin!"

They walked for a few more minutes before finally reaching a familiar looking minecart. Climbing inside, the two girls squeezed in after him, pushing their bodies up against him as they tried to fit. Harry tried not to, but couldn't help the enjoyment he got out of his current predicament.

A several minute rollercoaster ride later, the cart finally stopped deeper in the bowels of the bank than Harry had ever been before.

"I was told to inform you that the contents of your trust vault were moved to your Family Vault now that you have accepted your Lordship." Harry and Tracey exited the cart somewhat clumsily due to the carts cramped quarters, but Daphne made it out looking as regal as ever. Tracey just shook her head as she observed her girlfriend. "Place your signet ring against the door to open it. You're companions may enter with your permission as well, but will find themselves unable to remove things from the vault. The Potters were always creative with their wards." Harry was shocked, it sounded as if the goblin was giving a genuine compliment to a wizard.

Harry did as he was told. He felt his ring grow warm momentarily once he placed it against the vault door. He removed it as soon as he heard the groaning protestations of the hinges as the giant door swung open. Mouth hanging open in awe, he idly gave the two girls permission to enter as he stepped inside.

Off to the one side of the vault were mountains of gold coins, some silver, and a few bronze. He was used to seeing large amounts of money from his trust vault, but this definitely dwarfed that.

"With all the things Dumbledore's done, at least he hasn't squandered your riches. House Potter has always been known for being very wealthy, even if they never through it around like the Malfoys," Daphne said eyeing the gold.

Tracey let out a loud whistle, "That is a lot of gold! I always wondered why you never put Malfoy in his place when he went around bragging about his wealth. The Potters are just as wealthy or even more so now seeing as Malfoy Senior was always using it for bribes."

"I never knew… this was here the whole time and I never knew…" he murmured quietly.

Suddenly feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Tracey looking concerned, "I'm sorry Harry, I didn't think before I spoke. It's not your fault you didn't know." She blushed, "You'll probably learn soon enough I don't always do a great job filtering my thoughts before I talk. Its gotten me into loads of trouble in the past."

Harry actually felt a warm fuzzy feeling in his stomach at her words. She already seemed to somewhat care for him, and it had only been a day. Even his own friends rarely apologize to him for anything, and they'd said some pretty insensitive things in the past.

"It's ok Tracey. I know you didn't mean anything by it. It just sort of hit me all at once. If you two hadn't come to tell me all this today, I most likely would have never found out about any of this. I've never had much to remember my family by, and if what Steelwing said was true, I could have lost all of this without even knowing it. So thank you, both of you."

Tracey smiled, and Daphne snorted as she turned away, "If you two are done having your tender little moment, let's start looking through all of this."

Despite her harsh words, Harry had seen the beginnings of a blush of her face before she'd turned away. From what he'd noticed about the two girls so far, it was obvious they'd both been raised in and were very knowledgeable of pureblood society, despite that, as Tracey had informed him earlier, she was actually a half-blood like himself. They were both incredibly intelligent and cunning to boot, yet Tracey was obviously the freer spirit. She was more willing to speak her mind and show her emotions. Daphne, on the other hand, seemed the stereotypical pureblooded lady. He'd seen hints that she was a lot more like her girlfriend than she liked to let on, but around Harry, who she was just starting to get familiar with, she kept her emotions carefully masked.

They split up after that. Searching through the many shelves, Harry finally come across something useful. It was a small bag, that if the label was correct, was charmed to hold much more on the inside than should be possible. It also claimed that stick your hand into the bag and speaking the name of the object you were looking for would summon it to you.

The only other thing he'd seen in that area had been stacks of old paintings and furniture, so he hurried over to the other side of his fault, and began filling his new bag with enough Galleons to last him a while. Deciding to explore another corner of the spacious vault, Harry began walking in that direction. He soon came across Daphne flipping through what appeared to be old files.

"Find anything important?" Daphne startled slightly at his voice.

Regaining her composure she answered, "A few things. I found the address for Potter Manor. It seems the land has been in your family for even longer than I expected. I was searching for the deed now because I was curious how far back it goes."

"But with the address we'll be able to access it now? We don't need the deed to gain access?"

"No, I was only looking to sate my own curiosity. Your signet ring should allow you onto the property just like it did this vault. It'll probably be best to check it out when we're done here."

"That's a good idea," but then Harry suddenly had a thought. "Should we all go to Potter Manor before we get the betrothal contract situation figured out? From what you said it sounds like we should get moving on that as soon as possible. How should I even go about writing that? I know the goblins handle contracts and such, do we talk to them about writing it up?"

"It's probably best for you to check out your manor first so we can check that it's still habitable, that way if you need to get work done on it, you can that set up quickly. As for the contracts themselves, goblins only store them, they don't write them. You could, as Head of your Houses, write them up yourself, but due to your lack of experience, I would suggest hiring a solicitor."

"Solicitor? How am I going to go about hiring one of those?"

"Your family probably still has one on retainer. I'll see what I can find," Daphne went back to sorting through the copious amounts of paperwork. Just when he had decided he had waited long enough and he was going to go see what Tracey was up to Daphne made a discovery, "Here it is! It appears your parents got work done with Andromeda and Ted Tonks several times after they got married."

"The Tonkses? I know their daughter… she's an Auror… and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Do you think I can trust them?"

"Yes, they would have had to have taken oaths to not divulge your family's information. Even if they are Dumbledore sympathizers, the most they could do is drop you as a client. They still wouldn't be able to share anything you tell them. From what I understand Andromeda was your godfathers cousin?"

"Yes I believe so. He told me she was disowned from the family for marrying a muggleborn."

"That's what I thought. As Lord Black you could reinstate her into the House of Black. They would owe you even more of their loyalty after that."

"I guess it's something to consider. I-"

Before, he could continue Harry heard Tracey shout, "No way! Harry! Daphne! You two have got to see this."

The two teens hurried through the rows of shelves trying to find where Tracey was. When he'd first heard her shout, he'd thought she might be in danger, but her words calmed him. It just seemed she'd found something exciting. They finally located her along the back wall. Skidding to stop, he looked around trying to see what the big deal was.

He heard Daphne gasp beside him before murmuring, "Oh Merlin… there's no way... "

"What?" He noted both the girls had their eyes fixated on something hanging on the wall. He assumed it was the beautiful golden sword he had just noticed. He didn't know much about swords really, but he somehow just knew the craftsmanship of this blade was impeccable. He'd never heard of a sword where the blade seemed to be golden as well. He thought looked even more beautiful than the sword of Gryffindor. There almost seemed to be some barely discernible shimmer across the blade. He was sure it was enchanted. "Are you guys looking at the sword? It's pretty cool, but what's the big deal?"

Both girls looked at him in shock, but Tracey was the one who spoke up, "Don't you know what that is? Didn't you see the banner on the wall?"

"Uhh… no…" Harry turned to look up at said banner. "What? It looks like a sword stuck in a rock or something. Are you trying to tell me that this is Excalibur?" He asked sarcastically. Both girls just stared at him, and Harry's grin faded. Glancing back up at the sword, he then turned back to the girls. "You're not serious… that's Excalibur? Like the famous sword used by King Arthur, originally planted in stone by Merlin, the Merlin, as a trick so the people of England would follow Arthur when he pulled it free? That Excalibur?"

Both girls nodded mutely.

"Dear Merlin, what's it doing in my vault!"

"I don't know," Daphne finally spoke. "It's supposed to have been lost a millennium ago… you're family must have been connected to Camelot somehow." Daphne was thinking furiously, and Harry imagined he could almost see her brain chugging away on something. "You're family must be even older than I originally suspected. Purebloods have always prided themselves on how far back they can trace their lineage, but no one can go back that far and know for certain. This is pretty much proof that the Potters existed in some form back then."

"I never knew you were such a history buff Daphne."

The girl in question's usual mask had completely slipped, and when he spoke, he got a full honest to god blush. Harry had to work hard to not smirk at his accomplishment.

"It's always fascinated me. I don't care about it for the same reason as most purebloods, but I really do enjoy it. It would be so much better if we didn't have Binns at Hogwarts. There's so much more out there to learn about than the goblin rebellions."

"I don't share Daphne's enthusiasm for all things old," Tracey pointedly ignored the glare she was receiving, "but I do think this pretty exciting. I did find a cloak on rack back over there that had the symbol of the Knights of the Round Table on it. It was clearly extremely magical, and was impossible for me to discern its properties."

"Wait, do you think it's one of the original cloaks? There's no way it could have survived that long right?" Harry asked.

"Well the stories do say that Merlin was the one who enchanted them…"

"Well, what should we do with the sword and cloak?" Tracey inquired.

"I'll leave them here in my vault. If they really are what we think, I can't risk them. They're way too valuable."

"Actually Harry, I think you should take them with you," Daphne interjected.

"What? Why?"

Daphne sighed, "It has to do with some of the stuff I wanted to tell you about soon and sort of connected to my love of history."

"Ok…"

"The Ministry of Magic has slowly been restricting the knowledge of magic over the centuries. The stuff we learn at Hogwarts is nothing compared to the knowledge that's been lost. How do you think four wizards and witches were able to build Hogwarts themselves? It's a highly magical place, maybe even sentient. There's no one alive today who could repeat that feat, probably none of the other magical races either. The magical peoples from that time were able to do so much more. Wandless magic was a lot more prevalent, and wands were only used for more specialized magics. The Ministry doesn't like this information getting around because they can't control it. Yes both Dumbledore and You-Know-Who are powerful, but it's their knowledge that makes them dangerous, and they've barely scratched the surface."

Harry had paled slightly, "How will ever have a hope with matching them then if all this knowledge has been hidden?"

"A lot of the older families have managed to retain texts on older forms of magic. You're family library will most likely contain many of these. This actually ties in directly to what I explained to you earlier about the formation of the Traditionalists. Those practices I spoke about earlier that we want to protect is that knowledge that is passed down within families. It's the muggleborn influence that has tried to wipe that out."

Harry felt a little annoyed by her explanation, "I wouldn't go that far. There's nothing wrong with mug-"

"I never said there was anything wrong with muggleborns Harry. As I said earlier, I am all for integrating them into our society, but we can't these ancient practices of magic be lost just because they are now passed down within families. Tell me, how do you think your friend Granger would react to knowing that their were whole branches of powerful magic she couldn't study just because they were part of a family's private collection. Do you think she would care that it may be a part of that family's history? Their heritage? I don't know her that well, but I am sure she would demand access to it, and if that failed would eventually try and have it wiped out because she couldn't do it herself."

Harry's first urge was to defend his friend, but he forced himself to actually stop and think about what Daphne said. He was certain if Hermione ever came across the knowledge that this information was out of her reach it would drive her mad. He knew she had an insatiable need to prove herself, and if she was stopped from doing that, he didn't know what she'd do.

"I guess you're right. I'm sorry if I reacted badly. I know you explained it before, but I'm just so used to people go offing about blood purity superiority that I'm sensitive to the topic."

Daphne sighed, "I know Harry. That's why I hate the Death Eaters so much. They've turned what was a just cause into hate filled vendetta that they believe excuses their behaviour against anyone they deam unworthy. Anyway, getting back on topic, we will need to find your affinity first. There are actually different classes of witches and wizards based on the type of magic they use. The Ministry likes to pretend that doesn't exist, but it is still prevalent in other areas of the world."

"Classes?"

"Yes classes. Dumbledore is most likely considered a Sorceror. You-Know-Who would be a Warlock because of his mastery over the dark arts. Warlocks and Sorcerers are actually considered pretty similar, it just depends on the type of magic they use. I believe Grindelwald was a known War Mage, and of course Nicholas Flamel is probably the most famous Alchemist of all time, and he's also considered a powerful Enchanter. There's actually a lot of speculation on what Merlin himself would be classified as. Its pretty widely accepted that he was the greatest Sorcerer to ever live, at least in England, but some believe he could also be classified as a War Mage."

"How do I figure out my affinity, or rather what class I am?"

"Normally your skills just show themselves over time, but I have to ask you something first. Is it true you summoned the Sword of Godric Gryffindor in second year, then used it to kill a Basilisk?"

"Err… ya. I didn't really summon it though. I just sort of pulled it out of the sorting hat. It's not as impressive as it sounds. Dumbledore's phoenix helped."

"No, that's considered a summoning. You're definitely a Sword Mage then."

"A Sword Mage?"

"Yes a Sword Mage. A battle specified class just like War Mages, except you'll use a bonded enchanted blade as your magical focus instead of a wand or a staff."

"That's awesome!" Tracey jumped in. "Godric Gryffindor was a Sword Mage. Salazar Slytherin had some Sword Mage abilities as well, though he was mainly considered a Warlock. Some even believe King Arthur may have been a Sword Mage, but without proof many believe he was just a muggle wielding Excalibur."

"As soon as you summoned the sword in second year, Dumbledore would have known exactly what that meant. It seems like it's just one more thing he has kept from you. If instructed properly you could have bonded with the Sword of Gryffindor right there and begun training. Even though it is a Hogwarts relic, any Sword Mage that manages to summon it can use it for their lifetime."

"Does that mean we have to figure out a way to get it back?" Harry asked, getting ready to add one more impossible tasks to his mental to do list.

"No actually. I would assume Dumbledore has gone to great lengths to ensure it won't bond to you now. Normally such a thing would be impossible, but there's a reason the old man is considered the greatest Sorcerer of our era. The Sword of Gryffindor is considered one of best forged magical swords in existence, and certainly the best by the goblins, but you have access to Excalibur! No one knows for sure who created it, but some believe it was either the High Elves or the Fae before they receded from this world. The only thing that is known for sure is that the blade was tempered in dragon's fire."

"It's bloody Excalibur! You'd be mad to choose any other sword!" Tracey piped in.

"Ok… ok! How do I go about bonding with it then?"

"I believe it's some kind of ritual or oath you have to take. I don't know off the top of my head, but there should be references in your library for it, and if not, I can check the Greengrass estate."

"Does that bag have an undetectable extension charm on it?" Tracey was pointing at the bag hooked to his belt that he'd picked up earlier.

"I think so. It's bigger on the inside."

Daphne rolled her eyes, "Then the answer is yes. That's exactly what an undetectable extension charm does. What were thinking, Tracey?"

"Well, Harry can stick the sword and cloak in there for now. As soon as we figure out the bonding ritual, we can get that done. That way, if what I've read and you've told me is true, we don't have to worry about Harry losing a priceless reli-"

"Hey! I wouldn't lose it!"

"By lose I meant have it take or stolen. It's worth too much to risk it. Once you bond you should be able to summon it to wherever you are, and use it as a focus for your magic."

"Ok. Here goes nothing then." Harry approached the wall. He tentatively reached his hand out and grabbed the hilt. He felt it immediately. A warmth spread up his arm from the sword. It was the same feeling he'd received when he found his wand, except infinitely more powerful. Taking it down, even though he knew it made no sound, Harry couldn't help but feel that the sword seemed to be singing to his magic in his very veins.

Harry was broken out of his momentary reventry when Daphne cleared her throat and gave him a pointed look. With a sigh, he slipped the ancient sword into the bag, already missing the feeling of it in his hand. The cloak was packed away similarly a moment later.

"I guess it's time to go check out how well the old manor has held up over the years."


	3. Author's Note: Adopted by Heiliger

**NOTICE:**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _Just in case anyone hasn't realized from my change in the story description, but this story has been abandoned. I'm sorry about that, but I felt my own writing was becoming too cliche and I had other ideas I wanted to work on instead. That being said, I will leave the first two chapters up._

 _Good news for all of you though is that it has been adopted by Heiliger. From what I understand they will be continuing on from where I left off. Their fic title is called Harry Potter: The Five Sided War. So go give them a follow if you want to see more of this._

 _I do want to say thank you again for the amazing response I got for this fic even though I won't be continuing it. All the best, and I hope some of you decide to check out my other stories._

* * *

 **Adopted Story:**

 **Title:** Harry Potter: The Five Sided War

 **Author:** Heiliger

 **Story Code:** 12251945

 **Author Code:** 4762748


End file.
